Can someone please assist me in writing a conceptual framework? I’m researching the impact of vocational training upon the learning efficiency of students in higher education in Karnataka. How can I determine the variables for this? If I consider nature of learner, method of teaching, expertise of teacher or let us say the environment of learning as the variables, then how to build a relationship among these? Please guide me upon this.

See you have already identified variables but you must narrow these down. These variables should cover each possible factor to such an extent where you are able to define it and establish the relationship. So if I consider nature of learner as a variable then you have to identify the factors that determine the nature of either a good or bad learner. So, a good learner would best acquire things up once gets adapted with some learning styles like who is readily engaged in effective practices, able to take responsibility for doing things outside his comfort zone, or things like that. Getting it? If a student isn’t capable of seeing any value what he has been taught, then he would take less interest in learning, less interest leads to less motivation & efforts, less efforts would eventually leads to less learning. This is how you will form relations. Hope it helps!

If you had reviewed the literature, then where have you been stuck? By this time, you must have formed some set of definite questions, with the help of this identify the probable dependent or independent variables. Once you have the variables, you need to build a relationship between them. I just found this example from Google, may be you can do something like this. Take for example level of income and level of domestic expenditure. Here the variables are level of income and Level of expenses. If an increase in level of income results into an increase in expenses, then level of expenses depends on the level of income and level of expenses will thus be Dependent variable. Level of income will be the independent variable.

For developing a conceptual framework, you need to break down your variables, which are vocational training and learning efficiency of students. Find out the factors affecting these both; and for finding them, you need to do a rigorous review of existing literature. Looking at the variables that you have taken, methods of teaching, nature of learner, these are too broad. As an example, the variables for vocational training can be teacher’s practical knowledge, school infrastructure, image of vocational education and training etc. Once you identify your variables, try building a framework, which must show the connectivity between the selected variables.